threshold
by bizarro4
Summary: complete one year has passed since Cree and Chad have been decommissioned. Chad has been having nightmares. something menacing haunts him in his sleep, something Evil that knows his name. and he fears the dark...
1. chapter 1

finally, i've posted the sequel to my fic, "fallen." which means it is rather AU, (branching off at END) since it follows that timeline, rather than that of the show. you might want to read that fic first, or this might be a little confusing. and if you're really bored you can read "a new beginning" too, as this fic makes reference to it. but enough plugging my own fics....

and now for the age-old discussion of age! at the beginning of "fallen," Chad is thirteen, having just been nearly decommissioned. i assume Cree is roughly a year older than him, making her around fourteen. "fallen" takes place over the course of a year, so by the end, Chad is fourteen and Cree is fifteen. another year passes before the start of this fic.

i should also warn that while "fallen" was PG-13 just in case, this is defintely PG-13. there's some cussing...and other things.

a big, giant thanks (with sparklers and fireworks!) goes to Cybra, who beta'd this for me.

disclaimer: i do not own Codename: Kids Next Door

---

---

He stood at the threshold between light and shadow. He knew which way he should go—it would be so easy to turn away from the dark and step into the sun. He looked to the light; it was warm and golden. But something beckoned him from the gloom, and he was drawn towards it. What was there? He stood firm at the border, but stared as far as he could into the darkness.... There was something....

"You didn't think you could escape so easily, did you, Chad?"

"Stay away!" he shouted to his dim, moonlit room.

He sat up, shivering, and with unsteady hands, turned on the lamp beside his bed. He rose from bed and walked to his desk, clicking on that light as well. He continued to his closet, then dresser, until every light in his room was on. Only then did he return to bed, pulling up the covers for warmth. His teeth chattered. Why? Why did he never walk towards the light?

He picked up a framed picture on his nightstand.

"Cree," he said aloud.

She smiled up at him from the photo, confident, strong, loving. He drew strength from it.

Eventually the frantic beating of his heart slowed, the shivering ceased, and he drifted back into a tranquil sleep.

---

The final bell rang, and students poured forth from the school. Chad stood outside, watching as the students passed, greeting several of them. He saw two of Cree's sister's friends, Hoagie and Wally. Chad waved, and Hoagie returned it somewhat unenthusiastically, but Wally just glared. For some reason, kids didn't seem to like him all that much.

But they were immediately forgotten as Chad spotted the one he had been waiting for. He ran up to her, grabbed her by the waist, and swung her around in an almost-dance, beaming at her.

"You look happy," Cree remarked, amused.

"I finally told my parents that I'm quitting violin lessons!" he exclaimed with more triumph than the statement actually called for.

"Oh, is that it? Well, congratulations," she replied, with a small smirk. "But really, sweetie, it took you long enough."

"I know, but these things aren't easy for me. When I quit the Young High Society Society last month, my mom literally stuck her head in the oven!" he shuddered.

Cree pat his shoulder sympathetically. "Well, you've finally done it! I'm proud of you, Chad."

"Uh...there was one condition."

"Uh-oh."

"I'm starting cello lessons next week."

"Please tell me you're kidding."

"Um..." he hedged.

"What am I going to do with you?"

"Well," he moved closer to her, "you could start by giving me a— OOF!"

Chad was dive-bombed by an unexpected visitor. He stared up at him. "You!"

"Hey, Chad, ya miss me?" The stranger smiled then aimed a fist at Chad's face.

Chad turned his head just in time, missing the blow, and kicked the intruder off of him. But the other recovered quickly, tackling Chad immediately afterwards.

Cree watched, stunned for several moments as they fought. Who was that boy with the obnoxious Hawaiian shirt? Not that it mattered—he was grappling with her boyfriend, which of course meant he was going down. She sprung into action, spin-kicking the stranger square in the stomach. He landed several feet away.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded, planting her foot on his chest as he wheezed.

"Cree! It's okay—he's a friend!" interceded Chad.

"Friend?" Cree removed her foot uncertainly.

"Yeah," answered Chad as he helped him off the ground. "Cree, this is Kenny—he used to live here before he moved back to Hawaii a few years ago."

Kenny looked at her woozily, holding out a hand to take hers.

"You okay, man? Can you stand?" Chad asked.

"I'm good," Kenny insisted, reeling, still grasping onto Cree's hand. Then he flashed a grin, grabbed Cree, flipped her down and kissed her passionately.

_::Shock!::_

Both Cree's and Chad's fists made impact with Kenny's jaw at the same time.

Kenny, still grinning, lay bruised and battered on the floor. "It was worth it."

---

The three of them sat at a booth in a local diner, catching up on old times. Or lack thereof....

"So how did you guys know each other?" asked Cree.

"We were on..." began Chad then trailed off, furrowing his brow. He thought hard.

"We were on the soccer team together," Kenny filled in.

"No, I was never on the soccer team. I wanted to join, but it interfered with Drama Club."

"Huh. I could have sworn we were on some kind of team together."

"Football?" offered Cree.

Kenny shook his head.

Chad frowned, contemplating. Finally, he blurted, "Sixth grade English class!"

"Oh...yeah..." agreed Kenny.

Cree stared at the two of them. "No wonder you're such close friends," she commented flatly.

More silent moments passed as they all pondered this.

"Do you ever feel that large chunks of your childhood memories are just...missing?" Chad asked.

Cree didn't answer, only put her hand on his and sighed. They had had this conversation before.

"Yeah, but if it's the same for both of us it must be normal." Kenny rationalized.

"I guess..." Chad replied, unconvinced.

"Anyways," Kenny changed the subject, "how did you two kids meet? The Chad I knew barely even knew girls existed."

Chad smiled shyly and glanced over at Cree. "She saved my life."

"You're kidding."

"He's lying," Cree laughed dismissively.

"No, I'm not, it's true."

"So—what? Did she shove you out of the path of a runaway bus? Suck the poison out of a snake bite?"

"I was falling, and she grabbed my hand and saved me." Chad gently took the hand that was resting on his and held it.

Kenny shook his head. "I still don't get it."

Cree smiled embarrassedly. "Chad was my sister's math tutor," she informed him in an undertone.

Chad's expression meanwhile had become contemplative again. It was true that he had met Cree when he came to her house to tutor her sister, Abigail, but that wasn't the first time they had met. He knew her before—he was sure of that. He just didn't remember exactly where or when. The past year he could remember distinctly, but everything before that was fuzzy, obscure. Cree was his first clear memory. Yet even the details of how he met her were vague. But he did remember falling, and catching Cree's hand. She _had _saved him—of that he was certain.

---

It was evening when the three of them walked along the sidewalk together, Kenny a little in front of the other two. Cree and Chad held hands and barely paid attention to Kenny at all, who prattled on,

"Sure, I miss this place sometimes—we barely have anything that can be called seasons, other than 'rainy' and 'dry,' and it's almost impossible to get a decent snow cone...."

Chad stopped and pulled Cree with him behind a tree. They kissed unhurriedly as Kenny's voice faded into the distance.

"Happy Anniversary," murmured Chad.

"It's about time you remembered," Cree reproved.

He leaned in for another kiss when Kenny came to retrieve them.

"Yo! Slowpokes! What's the holdup?"

They both glared at him, arms still around each other.

"Oh...I see," said Kenny, finally grasping the situation. Then, shoving Chad brusquely aside, called, "My turn!" and claimed Cree for himself.

Chad quickly regained his bearings and lunged in for the kill, but Cree beat him to it. In an instant, Kenny had another bruise for his collection but he continued to wear an admiring grin.

"So this is one of your friends?" Cree asked Chad again, unamused.

"I may have used the term a little too liberally."

"Man, those are some prime moves!" applauded Kenny, wiping the blood from his mouth. "Where did you learn them?"

"I don't remember," shrugged Cree, walking away. Chad followed suit, and Kenny picked himself up and did the same.

---

"You can find your way out, right? Okay, bye!" called Cree as she pushed Kenny out her door.

"Yeah, this was a lot of fun, we should—"

SLAM!

Cree listened at the door to hear steps descend the stairs and the front door open and close. "Ugh, I thought he'd never leave," she groaned, glancing at her clock. It was after midnight. "You have very strange friends."

Chad only smiled at her.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

He shook his head, still smiling, and closed the distance between them. "You know, you're beautiful when you're self-conscious."

Cree smirked. "If that was supposed to be a come on, you need practice." But she still leaned in to meet his lips.

She moved closer to him—a little too close. He could feel his face reddening and felt silly, but didn't pull away. Instead he kissed her until too close felt not close enough....

Suddenly the lights went out, simultaneous with a distant, hollow boom.

Darkness.

Cree laughed. "I think we blew a fuse!"

But Chad had gone cold and stiff. "It's...dark," he said in a small voice.

"Yeah, it must have been a blackout, the whole neighborhood is dark," Cree observed, heading towards the window.

"Wait—where are you going?" Chad asked desperately, clinging to her.

"Just going to find a flashlight," she replied, surprised. "Are you okay?"

"I...don't want to be alone here." He was glad that she couldn't see his face, but his voice had already betrayed his fear.

"It's okay. Here, hold my hand. The flashlight's over here."

Click. A small light went on.

"Hold on to this while I go find some candles." She looked at him with concern, pity.

Chad nodded and avoided her eyes, ashamed.

She returned a moment later, hands full of candles. Soon the room basked in an orange glow.

He sat on her bed, still grasping the flashlight, staring at the floor.

She sat beside him. "Chad...? You can turn that off now."

He shut off the flashlight and sighed. "I know I'm pathetic. Laugh at me if you want."

She gently turned his head towards her and smiled at him. "Look at me, Chad. I'm not laughing."

He put his arms around her, and the lump of terror in his heart melted away and was forgotten.

---

Once again he stood at the boundary between light and shadow. "Turn to the light!" he could hear a distant voice call. It was his own. Still, he hesitated--

---

The lights snapped on as suddenly as they had gone out hours earlier.

Cree groaned and turned over, burying her head in her pillow.

Chad sat bolt upright. "What time is it?" He stared at this watch. "Shit!" He jumped from bed and began to dress hastily.

Cree groaned once again. "Turn off the light," she murmured, shading her eyes.

He did so then returned to his frantic dressing. She watched him in the soft, grey light filtering in through the blinds. She lay very still, observing his activity. _'He's running away...?'_

Feeling her eyes on him, he turned to look at her and met her gaze. He paused, almost blushing. He pulled on his shirt and walked over to her, sitting on the edge of the bed. She studied him, saying nothing. He bent forward to kiss her, his face fully crimson. It felt ridiculously like a scene from a fairytale picture book. She smiled and returned the kiss, curling her arms around him and pulling him closer.

"Do you really have to go now?"

"Yeah, I've got practice early, and I need to get some things from home first. But I'll see you after school?"

She smiled in agreement and drew him nearer for another kiss before releasing him. Their hearts, pressed close together, beat in time.

---

He walked out into the chill, damp, pre-dawn air, but he felt warm inside. He could feel himself grinning like an idiot and didn't care. He was already counting down the hours, minutes, seconds until he would see her again, already planning on what he would do when he saw her that afternoon. Smiling even wider, he broke into a run and headed home.

He turned a corner to find five children, standing in a close group. They all looked at him with eerie, pale eyes. He nodded at them then continued past them.

"Hello, Chad," they said in unison.

He gave an involuntary shiver and turned to look at them. They were familiar.... He had a preposterous impulse to turn and run away. But he laughed at himself--why should he run from children? He put on a smile and greeted them. "Hi, guys. Do I know you?"

"Not now, Chad, but you will. Soon," they replied, again all at once. They pulled out a dark, menacing-looking box.

Chad's smile faded quickly. "Stupid," he thought to himself, "I should have run."

The dark box opened....

---

---

author's notes:

if the Hawaiian shirt didn't tip you off, Kenny is supposed to be Numbuh 30C. i called him Kenny because of the theory that he is actually Kenny, from Mr. Warburton's animated short, "Kenny and the Chimp." this does mean the fanart i have of him is completely wrong, but no matter. check out my fanart on my website if you're interested, the link is on my profile page.


	2. chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

It was like a nightmare, but a terrifyingly familiar one. Flashes of thoughts and images flooded his brain, and he realized, with a sickening jolt to his stomach, that they were forgotten memories, resurfacing. How many horrible things had he done? He didn't want to remember....

Screaming. He could hear it distantly, then closer. And closer. As he slowly regained consciousness, he realized it was his own voice.

He woke, shivering, in a cold sweat, sprawled on an unfamiliar, yet familiar floor. His damp clothes clung to him, and his breath came in ragged gasps. His stomach turned and he vomited.

"Oh dear. What a mess," came a voice, low and mocking.

He knew that voice. He remembered. The handshake that sold his soul; how it burned and froze at the same time. He didn't want to look up. But he had to.

"God, please let this be a nightmare," he thought a desperate prayer, but when he looked up, he knew. This was real—he was in Hell.

"Welcome back, Chad, it's been a long time, hasn't it, my child?"

Chad thought frantically. What could he do to escape him? Could he run? Hide? Close his eyes and wish him away?

The dark voice entered his mind, and he shuddered in as much revulsion as fear. "I know what you're thinking, child, and no, it's not that easy."

He could still escape. He may never be able to rid himself of the terrible memories he had reclaimed, but things were different now. Father had no power over him. Chad picked himself up gingerly, but then stood with confidence.

"I think you'll do exactly what I tell you to," Father sneered, answering Chad's thoughts.

"I'm not yours to control," Chad retorted, wishing his voice were steadier, and headed for the door.

"Perhaps," Father replied slowly. "But then I'd need someone else to do my bidding..."

What was he getting at?

"Someone who may not want to remember her past sins either...someone like Cree."

Chad froze at the mention of her name. How did Father know her? Suddenly a shadow of memory returned—of an armor-clad agent. Her armor folded back to reveal her face....

Chad spun around. "You stay away from her!" he shouted.

"I don't think you're in any position to threaten me," Father answered with warped satisfaction. "I can easily bring her here as I brought you. Do you think she'll want to remember her actions when she was my apprentice? She would have killed her own sister at my command."

"I don't believe you."

"Perhaps you'd like to find out? It can be arranged."

He was lying, he had to be. But Chad didn't want her to go through this pain, not if he could prevent it. Entering into a deal with someone as Evil as Father was stupid, but....

"What do you want from me?" he finally resigned.

---

Cree hung up her phone. She had gotten his voicemail again, and she refused to leave more than one message. She paced the floor of her room. Could something have happened to him? Was he okay?

Maybe she was over-thinking this. He probably got held up after one of his hundreds of club meetings. And he probably forgot to turn on his cell phone, as always. That must be it. She tried to convince herself, but wasn't succeeding.

Chad had never stood her up before, no matter how busy he was. He was nothing if not conscientious, his parents had taught him that. Sure, he was late sometimes, but he would usually call her if he were going to be more than half an hour late. But now it had been hours. It was beyond late.

So then, what happened? Could he have gotten into some trouble?

...or was he avoiding her? But why?

Cree had worn a path into her rug by now. She stopped and looked around. Scattered throughout her room were the snuffed candles from the night before. She stared at them, biting down hard on her lower lip. She gathered them hastily and dumped them roughly in the trash. Then she threw herself on her bed, pulling her knees to her chest. She didn't want to think anymore.

---

Father had not told Chad what he wanted from him, only laughed in his low, bone-chilling manner and said he would tell him when the time came. Somehow it was worse, not knowing.

It was already dark out. An entire day had been spent, lost in the nightmarish confusion of his own returning memories. They were still jumbled, confused, incomplete. But he knew they were real. He had done all those terrible things, he had tried to kill everyone. For completely selfish reasons. Hurt pride? Wounded feelings? Pathetic excuses...he sickened himself. What a worthless human being....

Chad remembered this feeling. He had used to feel this way all the time. Perhaps this was what drove him to the brink of insanity, to a place where murdering all his friends seemed like a reasonable plan. He wished it to go away. He wanted to be comforted. He needed...Cree. He found himself heading for her house. She would heal him, she would put her arms around him, and in her warm embrace he would forget the pain and all his past sins. He would be happy again. But....

Did he deserve happiness?

---

"Hi Chad. So...where have you been?" Cree's voice on his voicemail had that distinctively strained tone of one trying to sound relaxed. "I didn't see you at school today. I waited for you after school.... Well, I hope you're okay. Give me a call when you get this. See ya."

Chad sat miserably in his room, holding his cell phone. He should call her. But what would he say? She would ask him questions he had no idea how to answer.

---

Chad sat lifelessly in the school cafeteria before classes, as was his habit. But this time he wasn't looking over his homework assignments or planning his afternoon after school. He hadn't slept, he hadn't eaten. He didn't know what to do; he felt paralyzed. Every now and again a memory would surface, and he would wince as if hit by a physical blow. He had hacked into the KND code module and changed his age so that he could remain an operative. Then he had upped the ages of others who found out his secret, to get their memories erased. Was this who he was? A self-serving and conniving traitor?

"'Sup, dog?" Kenny greeted as he sat down next to him.

"Woof," Chad replied without thinking, as he had done hundreds, if not thousands of times before. He paused, looking up at Kenny. Now he remembered how they knew each other.

"Thirty C," he said in a revelatory manner.

"Huh?"

"Thirty C," Chad repeated, "does that mean anything to you?"

"As in thirty Celsius? That's like eighty degrees Fahrenheit or something."

"Actually, it's 86 degrees, but that's not what I mean. Thirty C—does it mean anything else to you?"

Kenny shook his head.

"...the way 274 means something to me," he persisted, pulling up his sleeve, exposing his tattoo.

"Dude! When did you get a tattoo?"

"That's not th—"

"What happened to it?" Kenny asked, noticing the scars disfiguring it.

"I...tried to scratch it off...." He had spent the last year wondering about that tattoo. He hadn't even remembered getting it up until now. He lined his fingernails up with the scars. They matched perfectly.

"Ouch. Why?"

Chad continued to stare at his marked arm. The events of his thirteenth birthday when he was almost decommissioned slowly returned to him. He had been in so much pain...he was so angry; filled with hatred and hopelessness. It had been inevitable--joining Father, seeking revenge. But he managed to escape it—no, he had worked through those terrible feelings, and he learned how empty his thirst for revenge had been. He found what was really important. He would never have been able to without her. Cree.... What had he been doing? Why was he avoiding her?

"Because I'm an idiot," he said aloud.

"Um, okay," shrugged Kenny.

"I need to find Cree."

"Don't you have class? I was gonna show up and freak out the teachers."

"I'm ditching."

"Shit, has hell frozen over? Where are all the flying pigs?" Kenny looked around as Chad left the room.

---

Finding Cree was actually an easy task as he had memorized her schedule and knew exactly which classroom she would be in. He stood outside the door of the class, peering through the small window in the door. If he focused his thoughts on her, she'd look up at him....

It happened faster than he'd thought. Almost immediately she glanced up in his direction and they made eye contact. They stared at one another for a moment, and then she excused herself from the room and stood, heading towards him. He stepped out of the way as she approached and the door opened it. As she walked through the door frame he reached out and pulled her aside gently, then into his arms and held her close.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

She clung to him, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I should be really mad at you."

"I know." A feeling of love, relief, and gladness washed over him. Neither of them spoke for several seconds, each wishing for this perfect moment to last forever. This brief instant where no explanations were necessary, and all that mattered was that they were together and in each other's arms.

But perfect moments never do last long....

"What happened? Why have you been avoiding me?" she asked.

Chad's embrace loosened and she pulled away from him, looking at him questioningly.

"I...was being stupid. I'm sorry, there's really no excuse."

She watched him intently, trying to understand.

"I felt..." Chad suddenly had difficulty meeting her eyes. "I hated myself."

Cree shook her head slowly, confused.

"I remember now—the things I forgot? I remember them, and...I've done such horrible things."

"You're not making any sense."

"I know I'm not, but I don't know how else to...." He took both her hands in his. He studied them, her smooth skin, the tapering fingers, delaying the moment when he would have to speak.

"Cree," he said softly, still focusing on her hands. "I love you. You know that, right?"

"Chad," she began, the note of worry still in her voice. She started to pull her hands away. "This isn't—"

But Chad held fast. "I'm not trying to change the subject." He looked up, into her eyes. "I just wanted to make sure you knew that. You do, don't you?"

Her eyes were sad. It hurt him to see her like that. But she nodded, wordlessly, and tried to smile.

He wanted to kiss her then, but he knew it wasn't the time. He took a deep breath, there was nothing else to do but start talking—

A horrible darkness fell, obscuring his vision and turning his blood to ice. He suddenly felt as though Cree were very far away, even as he held her hands. He could barely see her anxious face, mouthing unheard words of concern. Instead, it was _his_ words that he could hear, with unmistakable clarity.

"What do you hope to accomplish by confessing to her? Did you plan to beg for her forgiveness? Do you think that will do anything other than make her hate you?" Father's words echoed in Chad's mind.

Chad shut his eyes tight and tried to force Father from his brain. "Get...out...of my head."

"By your command, Chad," Father jeered, "just tell your girlfriend that I'd like a word with her, would you?"

Chad knew he had lost the battle. "Just tell me what you want."

"Much better. Isn't it easier when we just do things my way?" Father's voice was full of twisted mirth.

Chad waited, accepting Father's taunts.

"I only have one small request to ask of you. You should be grateful, really, that I'm asking for so little in return. After all, I gave you five years' worth of memories."

Chad wished Father would just say what he wanted—

"Kill Nigel Uno."

Murder.... Chad's lungs shut down. He couldn't breathe.

"I think someone as talented as you can handle that small task."

Then the darkness lifted, as suddenly as it had fallen. Where was he?

In the hallway. With Cree. He was still grasping her hands, clinging to them as if his life depended on it. He was freezing, covered in a clammy sweat.

"Chad—talk to me, what's wrong?" implored Cree, her voice edged with panic.

He gulped for air; he could barely see. "I'm sorry, I have to go," he choked out before releasing her hands and tearing down the hall. He made it to the bathroom just in time to vomit into the toilet.

---

Cree stood stunned in the hallway. What the hell was that? She slumped against the wall and hid her face in her hands. What was wrong with him? It was as if he had become an entirely different person; she didn't know him at all. He told her he loved her, then ran off without an explanation...why? Why...?

She uncovered her face and stood upright. Why was she here raking her brain and feeling sorry for herself when she could be asking Chad these questions? She hastened down the hall in the direction Chad had bolted moments ago.

---

Chad knelt on the floor of the bathroom, head resting against the cold porcelain. His mind was swimming.

Kill Nigel Uno. It was a terrible request. But it wasn't even the duty put upon him that made him sick—any task given from Father was certain to be evil—it was his reaction to it that horrified him. When he heard "Kill" his first thought wasn't "No," or even "Why?"

It was "How."

At that thought his stomach lurched again, and he held his head over the rim in anticipation, but his stomach was long empty. Instead, something bitter rose in his throat, which he spat out before laying his forehead against the toilet again. He felt dizzy.

He knew Nigel, he was Cree's sister's friend. He was...Numbuh One. He hadn't only been Abigail's friend, he had been his own as well. And his enemy. Chad had hated him so much after his failed attempt at destroying the Moonbase. Back then he certainly would have jumped at the chance to kill—

"Hey Bro," Kenny suddenly interrupted his thoughts. He stood and observed Chad for a moment. "You do not look good."

Chad barely had the energy to lift his head to look at him.

"Eurgh, and neither does that," Kenny grimaced as he reached over Chad to flush the toilet. "Was it the fish or the lasagna?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Cree's been barging into all the little boy's rooms, looking for you. We met up in the principal's office," he chuckled. "It's not like I'm a student here, so I'm off the hook, but it looks like Cree is facing some pretty serious detention. She asked me to find you. Though she didn't say what she wanted me to do once I did.... I don't know about you, but I'm thinking Gatorade."

"Just leave me alone, would you?"

Kenny shrugged. "Whatever." He headed for the exit.

"Wait," Chad breathed with difficulty. "Tell Cree...tell her I'm sorry."

Kenny looked down at Chad, frowning slightly. He paused for a moment, as if considering. Finally he said, "Why don't you tell her yourself? I'll get her," before strolling out.

Chad sat there on the grimy floor of the bathroom, feeling completely contemptible. He buried his face in his hands and tried to decide what to do. He should talk to Cree. But he felt...ashamed. And afraid. What if she...? He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to face her. Not yet.

He stood slowly, painfully, and dragged himself to the door. He pulled at the door handle. The door opened an inch or so, then stuck. Strange. Chad yanked at the handle, but it didn't budge. He peered out the crack—a mop had been jammed in the handle on the other side, barring him in.

"Kenny..." Chad muttered.

Kenny returned soon afterwards with Cree in tow. He pulled out the mop that was blocking Chad's exit, but left the "Out of Order" sign, which he had posted earlier, on the door.

"Just wanted to make sure he didn't bolt," Kenny explained.

"Thanks," was all Cree could think of to reply.

They entered, only to find an empty bathroom.

Kenny walked over to the open window and stared down from the second floor. "Now that's pretty hard core."

---

---

author's note: yeah, kind of an abrupt end to the chapter. i'll try to do better next time.

and Kenny is bad at movie quotes, as, i admit, i am, but his "fish or lasagne" misquote was on purpose. i just wanted to say that, so i wouldn't be attacked by angry "Airplane!" aficionados.


	3. chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Chad sat under the school bleachers, breathing raggedly. It was stupid of him to have run, even stupider of him to have jumped out the bathroom window. He should have stayed and talked to Cree. Not to mention he had managed to twist his ankle when he landed.

"Stupid...stupid..." he muttered to himself. But what would he have said? How could he have explained to her what he was going through? "Cree, I tried to murder everybody." She would think he'd lost his mind. Or worse she'd—

"_Do you think that will do anything other than make her hate you?"_

Father's words came back to haunt him. _Would_ she hate him? He couldn't bear the thought. He would have to keep this from her. Everything. Maybe it was for the best—maybe this way Father would leave her alone, she'd be safe.

But would he be able to make it through this without her?

He curled himself into a miserable ball. He missed her....

---

Once again at the boundary between light and shadow, Chad faltered.

---

"Chad?"

He woke with a gasp and looked up at the crouching figure before him. "Cree?" he asked, but knew immediately he was wrong. It was her younger sister, Abigail.

He was still under the bleachers; he must have fallen asleep. It was starting to get dark out.

"Oh, hi Abby," he corrected himself. He straightened out his stiff limbs, wincing slightly at the pain in his ankle.

Abigail peered at him curiously. "Funny place for a nap."

"Yeah, it wasn't really planned." He glanced at his watch, it was late enough to have missed all his practices and club meetings. He didn't really care. He crawled out from under the bleachers and stood gingerly. The throbbing of his ankle bothered him, but not as much as the ache in his chest.

"What are you doing here so late anyways?" Chad questioned.

"Oh, just...hanging out with some friends," she replied vaguely.

Chad glanced at her backpack. A wooden weapon was jutting out of it—the SPLANKER, standard 2x4 technology. He felt an unpleasant twinge in his brain as the memories returned. Abby...she was still an active KND member...Numbuh Five. He had known her even before he met Cree.

"I saw someone under the bleachers and came over to investigate," she continued, changing the subject. "I'm actually glad I found you, I wanted to ask you something."

"Really? What's that?" he asked, slightly nervous.

"Well, it's Cree. She's been acting funny the past couple days. I tried talking to her, but I can't get anything out of her. Do you know what's going on?"

Chad sighed regretfully. "I guess...that'd be my fault." He didn't know what else to say, but Abby continued to watch him expectantly. He met her eyes. Could he confide in her? He had gotten to know her pretty well this past year, with all the time he spent with Cree. He had been amazed at her intelligence and level-headedness, especially considering her age. He considered her a friend, and thought she felt the same. But did she? How could she after the way he had betrayed her and her friends, after he had tried to kill her? Yet she was the one who re-introduced him to Cree...why?

"Abby, remem—"

"Numbuh Five!" called a voice, interrupting him, one that Chad knew all too well.

Nigel Uno ran up towards them. Chad froze at the sight of him.

"Numbuh—"Nigel stopped himself abruptly. "Oh, hi, Chad."

"Hi," greeted Chad, trying to seem composed. How many times had he tried to kill this boy? Yet this past year, he had seen Nigel several times, and they had chatted, if not as friends, as friendly acquaintances.

"Um, Abby," Numbuh One continued carefully. "Hoagie found something...interesting. Care to join us?"

"Sure, I'll be right there."

Nigel glanced at Chad then turned to return to the school as Abby lingered to study Chad for a moment. "I gotta go. I don't know what's going on between you and Cree, but you should talk to her. Catch you later, 'kay?" She ran to meet up with Nigel.

He should talk to Cree. He wanted to, but he was afraid. Instead, he trudged for the general direction of home.

---

He was approaching the back door of his house when he heard his mother laughing. That laugh she used whenever she was trying to seem pleasant around someone she didn't particularly like. She used that laugh whenever she was around Cree.

Chad ducked behind some bushes and peered into the kitchen window. Sure enough, he saw Cree inside with his mom. Cree was peeling carrots rather dejectedly, apparently having volunteered to help with dinner. Mom was stirring something in a pot, a little too vigorously.

"He's usually home by now, it's strange. Coach Wetterhan called earlier, Chad missed practice. I thought maybe he was out with you. He forgets all his responsibilities when he's out with you," his mom chattered, followed by another artificial laugh.

Cree only sighed in reply, and picked up another carrot.

"I tried to call him on his cell phone, but he never does turn it on, does he? We'll have to have a chat about that when he gets back." Again Mom laughed for no apparent reason.

"I'm done with the carrots," Cree announced absently, "I think I'll wait for Chad in his room." She left the kitchen.

"Okay, dear, I'll let him know when he gets—you peeled the whole bag of carrots? What am I supposed to do with two pounds of peeled carrots?"

Cree was already out of earshot, heading up the stairs.

Chad stepped away from the kitchen window and looked up to see the light in his bedroom turn on. What now...?

He plopped himself down on the packed dirt at his feet near a clump of bushes, which he hoped would hide him. He tried to run scenarios through his mind. If he walked in now, Mom would start to scold him for missing all the practices and club meetings. Would Cree hear and come downstairs? Maybe if he snuck in through the front door, he could bypass Mom and make it to Cree without her noticing. But what then...? What would he say to Cree once he confronted her?

He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the aggravating pain in his ankle and the chill in the night air. He rubbed his arms in a vain attempt to generate warmth. Then took a sharp inhale as he felt another memory unlock in his mind.

_Kenny turned to him with hateful eyes. "Traitor," he muttered, as he was being dragged away by guards._

Chad tried to shake his mind free of the vision. What had he done?

---

Chad lingered uncertainly outside of Kenny's old house. He didn't really know why he came there. He couldn't know for certain if Kenny was even there.

He had almost convinced himself to turn around and leave when the front door opened. A well-tanned girl stepped eagerly outside and approached him.

"Chad? I thought it was you!" she beamed at him.

"Nat? Wow, how are you?" He placed a hand on her head affectionately.

She brushed off his hand petulantly. "I'm not a little kid anymore."

"That's right, you've really grown. How have you been?"

Natalie began a reply, but was interrupted by a voice from the house.

"Shoo, Gnat."

They both looked up to see Kenny.

"Why should I? Chad's my friend too."

"'Cause I said so." When this proved ineffective, Kenny added, "Dad wants to see you inside."

Nat frowned at him. "You better not be lying." She returned to the house.

"It was nice seeing you, Nat," Chad called after her. She waved in acknowledgement.

"Don't encourage her," Kenny muttered. "She's annoying enough as it is."

"Does your dad really want to see her?" Chad asked out of idle curiosity.

"Kind of," he shrugged. "So have you finished hurling?"

"Yeah, for now."

"You break any bones when you dived out the window?"

"Nah. Twisted my ankle, though. It still hurts."

"Heh. Wuss."

A moment of silence passed. Chad looked up into the sky and wondered why he came there.

"My dad turned my room into his gym. It's really lame. You wanna see?" Kenny invited.

"Maybe later." He paused then continued on a completely different subject. "Do you remember the Kids Next Door?"

"Next door to who?"

"Yeah, I thought so," Chad sighed.

"The old lady with the parakeet still lives next door," Kenny offered helpfully. "Well, the old lady, at least. Don't know about the parakeet."

"Right." Chad nodded. "So you don't—" He stopped himself.

"Huh?"

He mulled over his words for a while. "We knew each other before sixth grade English class."

"Yeah, we knew each other all through grade school. Still don't remember how, though."

"How about Jessie and Brian? From Sector Q?"

Kenny stared at him blankly. "You feeling okay?"

"Never mind. Listen, I gotta jet, but we should get together soon. We'll get snow cones or something. Say bye to Nat for me."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Wait—I want to ask—do you have a girlfriend, back in Hawaii, or something?"

"Sure, lots of 'em," Kenny grinned.

Chad laughed, knowing immediately that he would be of no help in that department. "Later."

Chad walked away, feeling both better and worse after the talk. It was helpful and unhelpful at the same time. What he needed was answers.

---

Chad stood outside of Abby's—Numbuh Five's window. It was dark inside—was she even home? Perhaps she was at the Treehouse. He picked up a small pebble and threw it at her window. He waited a moment, then repeated the action. Upon searching for another pebble, he heard a voice call,

"Who's there?" She sounded more than a little annoyed.

He looked up. "It's me, Chad."

"Chad? You got the wrong window. Cree's room is down the hall." Abby pointed.

"I know. It's just...I need to talk to you."

"To me? Right now? It's late. Can't it wait?"

"I...not really. If it's okay with you..." he trailed off.

Abby sighed. "Okay. Walk around to the side, I'll let you in."

A few moments later she opened the side door and she stepped aside to let him enter, yawning loudly.

"Thanks."

"Whatever," Abby grumbled. They walked to the kitchen together, Chad snapping on the lights as they entered.

Abby winced. "Ugh. Do you mind?" She turned them off again.

"Oh, sorry." Chad shivered and looked around at the surrounding gloom.

"Cree's gonna think it's pretty strange if she comes in here and sees us talking."

"She's not here."

"She's not?"

"She's at my place."

"So...you're here, and she's there?" She shook her head, rolling her eyes slightly. "Makes perfect sense to me. So what's so important that you needed to talk to me in the middle of the night?"

Chad took a breath. This was going to be harder than he thought. Abby was already in a bad mood. He started tentatively, "This past year, since I've been dating Cree...well, you and I've kind of gotten to know each other, since I've spent so much time around here. And...I've come to think of you as a friend." He paused. "You are Cree's sister, after all, and I hope you think of me as something like a friend too?" He blurted this part out quickly, glancing at her nervously.

"Yeah, sure," Abby replied, in a rather unfriendly manner. Upon seeing his uncomfortable reaction, she added, "Of course," in a more affable tone. She sighed. "Look, I know something's up between you and Cree. I don't know what, I'm not even sure I want to know. But I said it earlier—you need to talk to her."

Chad nodded sadly. This talk didn't help at all. But he looked up at her and said, "thanks."

Abby watched him carefully, as if trying to read him. But then, seemingly abandoning this attempt, she stood. "I'm going back to sleep."

"Okay," murmured Chad. Then he looked up abruptly. "Wait—there's one more thing I wanted to ask you. You were the one who introduced me to Cree after—"he caught himself. "You introduced me to Cree. Why?"

"Why?" repeated Abby, turning to stare at him. "It was a coincidence, I needed a tutor."

"No you didn't. You're an A student. You should be tutoring other kids."

"Well, sometimes I have trouble..." she began, attempting to explain, before stopping and changing her tone. "Look, what does it matter? You two are together and you love each other—anyone can see that. It doesn't really matter how you met, you would have gotten together somehow. And you're happy, right? Well, maybe not now, but generally. I've never seen Cree this happy. We used to fight all the time, but lately we hardly ever. I'm glad for her. She used to—"Abby paused again. "You love Cree, don't you? Talk to her. Now. Go!" With that, she left the room.

He still hadn't heard the answers he was looking for. But of course she was right. He left to go to Cree.

---

He entered his house through the back door, gingerly closing it soundlessly behind him. He looked around the dim kitchen. He hated night. It was always so dark. But he didn't want to turn on the lights, for fear of attracting unwanted attention from any parents who might be making a trip to the bathroom at an inopportune moment. He settled for turning on the small light over the stove. He felt slightly more at ease.

But only slightly. He still had to talk to Cree. What would he say?

_"Cree, I'm sorry, I've been such an idiot. I love you."_

He had tried that already, it wasn't enough. She needed an explanation.

_"Cree, I know it seems like I've been avoiding you, but I just need to murder someone, and then I'm all yours."_

Oh yeah, much better.

He sat down at the kitchen table and buried his face in his hands. The incessant question on his mind was _why?_ Why had this happened to him? Not only the question of why Father chose to return his memories, especially after waiting so long, but why was he even chosen by Father in the first place? Why did he have the misfortune of Father's interest?

He was having trouble forming coherent thoughts. He felt exhausted and weak. He suddenly remembered he hadn't eaten anything since that morning. Food. He was hungry. He walked over to the fridge and peered inside. He examined the leftovers. It was probably meant to be something like a stew, but it smelled burnt and unappetizing. He stared at a container of thick, orange liquid before identifying it as carrot juice. Rejecting that as well, he reached for the carton of milk and drained it.

Returning to the kitchen table, he stared out at the window into the dark neighborhood for answers. Dark…he shivered. He turned to glance at the light above the stove. It wasn't there. He caught his breath, staring around him wildly for some sign of light—a streetlamp, a neighbor's window….

Nothing. He was surrounded by blackness.

Chad's heart was pounding; he reached out to try to hold onto something real, and grabbed only air.

For a long while, Chad did nothing—just sat as the darkness pressed in around him. But soon he heard it, or rather, sensed it. Something was beckoning him from the dark. He could feel it trying to draw him in.

Chad….

He covered his ears. "Go away. Just go away…."

But it continued to call to him, in a voice as insidious as it was omniscient. It spoke to him of things he wished to know. It had answers.

But did he really want to hear those answers?

For a long moment, he sat in indecision. Then he stood and walked.

He arrived outside the mansion, trying to gather his courage. He clutched the bars of the front gate. They were unlocked; a small push, and they would open. He fixed his eyes on the large building before him. Father would already know he was there. He couldn't be surprised, caught off-guard. Should he do this? Would it really accomplish anything? _Could_ he do this? When finally face-to-face with Father, would he be able to suppress the terror that was already taking over his body and mind?

But he had to know. He pushed the gate. It swung open easily.

He entered the mansion. He knew which path to take to reach Father--he simply went in the direction his heart dreaded to go. Finally he arrived at a set of doors. He could feel the Evil pulsating within. Chad hesitated, breathing raggedly. His heart pounded. He wanted to run, as far away from this place as possible. But he gritted his teeth and turned the handle of the door.

It was dark, so dark.

"Hello, my child, what brings you here today?" asked Father in a false-friendly voice from the shadowed depths of the room.

Chad gaped into the dark, trying to see. It made the dim hallway seem bright in comparison. "I…"

He needed to focus. He needed his questions answered. "I need—"

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot."

Chad briefly caught sight of a small glint in the darkness then heard, rather than saw, something fly towards him. He caught it reflexively.

He looked down at what he was grasping. A sheathed sword. His katana.

He remembered when Cree first presented it to him, how he held it and stared in awe. He couldn't explain why the memory brought tears to his eyes.

"Have you put much thought into my mission for you?"

Chad just stared at the katana, trying not to think—Father would read his thoughts the moment they materialized. He did not want Father to know he was thinking of Cree.

"I assumed as much, you're wavering."

He began to feel dizzy from panic. He shouldn't have come. No matter what he tried, Father could see into his mind. He felt vulnerable, exposed.

"Perhaps your motivation is unclear. What is your impetus now? Protecting the girl you love?" There was a low, mocking chuckle. "A weak catalyst at best. Come now, Chad, isn't there something else?"

He squeezed his katana tight in his fists. He remembered wishing for strength from it in the past.

He could feel Father closing in on him; he could sense the evil presence growing ever closer.

"Please, just stay away." There was no longer any defiance, just feeble pleading.

Father was a breath away. Chad shook from fear.

"Don't be afraid, child, I'm just here to help you remember."

Chad took a sharp intake of breath as he felt Father reach forward and delve into his mind. It was agonizing—as if a knife of ice were being plunged into his brain. The pain and shock was paralyzing, there was nothing he could do to defend himself.

Father passed freely in the maze of locked memories, sifting through them as if they were second-hand books, discarding those which didn't serve his purposes. Settling upon one, he pulled it out and released it.

"Do you recall this, child?"

Chad saw himself as he strangled a young boy. He watched himself as he looked without remorse as the boy's eyes slowly dimmed.

'Stop it!' he wanted to roar, but he was powerless. He couldn't even look away. _'Stop….'_

Thankfully the scene faded to black. Chad trembled, choking for breath.

"Don't deny your true self, Chad."

"No, that's not true. That's not me!" His voice echoed in the emptiness, and he could hear his fear as it repeated to infinity.

"You don't understand yet? It's hatred that brings you—all of you—to me. Your anger towards the world fuels you, but you don't know what to do with it. And then you sense me, someone who will give your hatred direction and purpose. That's why you come."

"No," Chad denied again. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have—"

"Fool, do you still believe that?"

A barrage of memories assaulted Chad's mind. Taking a small boy hostage. Falsifying the ages of fellow operatives. Betraying his only friend. Trying to murder everyone on Moonbase.

"Can you blame anyone but yourself for those actions?"

Chad slumped, defeated.

"Accept your fate, child. This is the path your life must take."

With those words, Father left his mind. Chad was once again standing at the door, clutching to the katana, knuckles white. His muscles trembled, he felt as though they would give way any second. The throbbing of his racing heart echoed in his ears. He let the tip of his sword clink to the floor and grasped the hilt for support--he felt dizzy, nauseous.

"Come in, child, this is where you belong. There are depths of hatred within you that surpass even mine. Embrace your hatred, it will make you strong."

Hatred...Chad closed his eyes and remembered. He remembered hating the world and everything in it. He remembered his hopelessness when he thought he would never, ever be happy again. He could recall the feeling...but didn't feel it. Because he also remembered Cree. The thought of her became his strength and support. He feared that Father could see that he was thinking of her, but she was the only thing stopping him from collapsing to the ground.

Finally, Chad heard a scraping on the floor, the sound of a chair being pushed back. Soon he saw two glowing eyes appear from the blackness. They bored into him.

Chad could only stare back, helpless.

The yellow slits glared their disapproval. "Get out," the voice boomed, and the door slammed shut in Chad's face, knocking him back, into the hallway, onto the cold floor.

Chad lay stunned for a moment, then scrambled up and ran as fast as he could. As far as he could. Down the hall, down the stairs. Past bedrooms and sitting rooms and ballrooms and rooms which seemed to serve no purpose at all. Finally he reached the front door, and he burst through to the night air, gasping for breath. He continued at break-neck speed for as long as he could, until he felt his muscles cramp and his insides knot. He collapsed to the dank ground.

---

---

author's notes: the Kenny scenes in this fic aren't all that significant, i suppose, but it is setup for a prequel that i'm writing. and i wanted Kenny to make another appearance...just because.


	4. chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

He woke painfully, slowly. His eyes opened to see dirt and grass gradually come into focus. He groaned and closed his eyes again. He ached all over, and a clammy damp clung to him. He opened his eyes again and gingerly pushed himself off the ground, looking around. It was just before dawn, the sky was a dull gray. He had run to a somewhat recognized neighborhood, probably not too far from home. He stood uncertainly and started walking. He still clutched his katana with his right hand. His muscles were tight and uncooperative, but he gradually fell into a rhythm, and soon the simple act of moving forward no longer took his full attention. His mind began to form a single thought: he wanted to see Cree.

He walked faster, his gait became an awkward, limping jog. He reached his home, entered the door, through the kitchen, living room, up the stairs, to his room. He eagerly opened the door to his room and—

Empty. No Cree.

He searched the room, almost frantically. He had been so sure she would be there. Finally, he sat on his bed. The same thought buzzed through his mind—he wanted to see Cree. He needed to....

He stood and left abruptly.

---

Climbing the tree to her bedroom was more challenging than usual; he was so sore from the hours spent in a dead faint on some stranger's lawn. But he struggled his way to her window, finally managing to balance himself on her windowsill. He knocked on the glass. He waited several moments then tapped the window again, more urgently. Still nothing. He squinted inside, pressing his face against the glass. Her bed was empty. She wasn't there.

He slumped, feeling suddenly crushed. Where could she be? He remained on the small ledge as the minutes passed, devoid of motivation. He didn't know what to do next. The sky was growing brighter; he heard a car pass nearby. People would start to wake soon, and wonder why there was a boy trying to break into the Lincoln house.

Once again on solid earth, Chad pondered over his next move. What now? Where was she? He was out of ideas.

Suddenly the side door opened and he heard Abby's voice saying, "I'll be there in a few minutes—"before stopping abruptly. She had seen him and was staring.

"Abby, do—"Chad began.

"Chad? What--?" she asked, surprised, then continued into her communicator, "I gotta go, I'll be there in a few." She stashed the device in her backpack and then turned to Chad.

"What happened to you?"

"I...fell. Do you know—"

"Those don't look like injuries you'd get from a fall," Abby commented.

"I'm fine," he insisted, self-consciously brushing away at the patches of dirt and mud caked on him. In doing so, he felt a pang, and he looked down in surprise to see himself covered not only in scabbed-over flesh wounds, but blistery burns as well. _How did...?_

"Maybe you should go and wash those off. It looks like they might get infected."

"I'll be okay, thanks. Do you know where Cree is?"

"I thought you said she was at your place," Abby answered quizzically.

"She was, but she's gone...."

"Well, I didn't see her, but maybe she's in her room," she suggested.

Chad shook his head sadly. "She wasn't there."

"Is that a sword?"

He looked down at the katana he still grasped in his hand. "Um...yeah."

Abby was staring at it oddly. Then she focused on his face with an expression of deep scrutiny.

Chad shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I think I will look for Cree inside," he said and headed for the door.

"Okay. Wait a sec."

He turned to see Abigail approaching.

"Take this." She placed something in his hand.

Chad stared at it. It looked like a peppermint, but was rather heavier and cold as ice. "Uh...thanks?" he glanced up at her, but she was already leaving.

She waved at him. "Be ca—" she began, then paused and changed her words. "Good luck." She then turned away and jogged off.

After another moment of perplexed staring, Chad pocketed the mint and entered the Lincoln home.

He went first to Cree's bedroom, but with little hope. As expected, she wasn't there. The bathroom was empty, as were the kitchens. Dr. Lincoln's door was closed, so he wisely left that alone.

Chad returned to her bedroom and flopped onto her bed. Where was she? He had a sudden idea, and pulling out his cell phone, dialed her number, wondering why he hadn't thought of that earlier. But then he jumped an instant later when he heard ringing close beside him. He sat up to see her cell phone abandoned on the nightstand. Sighing, he turned off his phone, as it was beeping annoyingly, informing him of the fifteen voice mail messages—all from his mom. So much for that brilliant idea.

He again let himself rest back down on her bed, staring at the window. He hated this feeling--wanting to find her and not knowing where she was. Was she safe? Was she angry at him? Was she avoiding him? He then realized he was feeling what she must have been feeling the past few days. Guilt and regret weighed down on him.

"I'm sorry," he murmured aloud.

Without intending to, his eyelids lowered and he drifted to sleep.

He stood at the familiar threshold, one foot on the light side, his other on the dark. He gazed into the dark, wondering. But he turned suddenly, feeling another presence. Cree. But she wasn't looking at him; she was staring past him. Staring at a pair of glowing eyes. He opened his mouth to shout for her attention—

Chad shuddered awake, heart racing. He pushed himself off the bed and stared at the clock. It was already midmorning.

He tore through the now empty Lincoln residence in the vain hope that Cree may have returned. How could he have been so foolish? How could he have forgotten in his desire to see her that he was supposed to be protecting her? If something had happened to her, he would never forgive himself.

He made a decision. Gripping his katana tight in his hand, he left the house.

---

Chad stared up at Sector V's Treehouse. It was one of those things that no one acknowledged--the massive treehouse, constructed from various odds and ends, as well as things one wouldn't expect to see: an ocean liner, subway cars. Chad looked at it as if for the first time, wondering why he never found its presence out of the ordinary before.

The hand that clutched his katana was shaking slightly. He knew what he came there to do. Whether he would be able to accomplish it was another thing. He was out of practice, and it would probably be a fight of one against five. Even though they were children, he didn't like those odds. They had, after all, defeated him more than once in the past.

Of course he could trick Nigel. Invent an idea to lure him out, alone. The boy would have no idea what he was planning.

But it was too underhanded. He could only enter openly and hope for the best. Or worst, rather.

An odd noise from above made him look up. The sound of an engine...? High above him, he saw a dark object plummeting in his direction, growing larger quickly as it approached.

Chad was too stunned to be afraid for his life as the thing landed, or rather, crashed, not too far from him. Now that he could see it clearly, he recognized it as a 2x4 technology space pod. He drew nearer tentatively as black smoke billowed from it.

The hull decompressed, and the hatch opened. He could make out the silhouette of a boy through the smoke. It was Nigel.

"This is my lucky day," Chad thought ruefully to himself.

The British boy staggered out of the pod, muttering, "Next time I'll remember to bring Numbuh Two to pilot this piece of junk—"  He noticed Chad the moment he looked up, and stared, surprised for a moment.

"Chad. What are you do—" he began, then interrupted himself to ask, "Are you okay?" when he saw the state Chad was in.

"_Damn it,"_ Chad thought to himself, _"why did he have to ask about my well-being? I'm here to kill him; why couldn't he have been suspicious and on his guard?"_

But aloud he said nothing. He only walked up to Numbuh One and unsheathed his sword with unsteady hands.

Nigel's face expressed confusion for a split second, but soon seemed to grasp Chad's intent. He hunched down to gather himself in then leapt to avoid the teen.

Chad, however, was expecting this. He swung the katana, aiming for Numbuh One's foot. He managed to make a shallow cut.

Electricity crackled as the boy hit the ground, rolling in a somersault once or twice before regaining his bearings. He glanced down at his now useless rocket boot. Then frowned at Chad.

"_Score one for me,"_ thought Chad grimly. He then noticed the small trickle of blood from the boy's foot. His mouth opened in horror. "I'm sor—" he stared to say before stopping himself. He was there to do a lot worse than that.

But Nigel had heard him. He looked up at the other, meeting his eyes. "Chad, why are you doing this?" he asked in a composed tone, not at all the voice of a targeted murder victim.

He didn't answer, only stared back and tried to steel his countenance. He wished Numbuh One would attack him so he could fight back instead of taking the initiative.  Maybe then he could....

Nigel was still trying to reason with him. "You don't have to do this. We were friends, don't you remember, Numbuh 274?"

Chad flinched at the mention of his Numbuh, and Nigel immediately realized it was the wrong thing to say. Whether Numbuh One jumped back into a handspring first or Chad made a wide swipe with his sword was impossible to tell. Chad barely missed the boy, but Nigel landed on his injured foot, and in the split-second that was lost when he faltered, in pain, Chad lunged at him, pinning the child to the side of the house.

Chad held the katana to the boy's neck. His breath came in ragged gasps, and his hands were sweating, loosening his grip on his sword. The adrenaline kick that braced his muscles and emptied his mind quickly wore off. Could he do this?

Nigel seemed bizarrely calm in comparison. He observed Chad coolly from over his shades, taking in slow breaths. He wasn't struggling; he had even stopped trying to reason with him. Chad found this strange, and rather unsettling. Why wasn't he fighting?

"I—I'm sorry, but I have to," stammered Chad, trying to gather the nerve to complete his mission. He had to. For Cree.

Cree.

Thinking of her suddenly triggered a moment of clarity. For an instant, it was almost as if he could feel her disapproving gaze on him.  She would never want him to do this, not for her sake, no matter what the ultimate cost it would be for her. If he did this now, she may never forgive him. It may already be too late....

Chad's muscles relaxed and he slowly released Nigel, who, once free, finally allowed himself a moment of weakness as he took several wobbly steps away and knelt unsteadily to sit on the ground. He clutched at his neck.

Chad stuck the tip of his blade into the earth, and then dropped to the ground as well. He avoided looking at Nigel, who was watching him closely. Still not meeting the boy's eyes, he murmured, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have...."

Whether Nigel would have replied, Chad never found out, as he was plunged into an icy darkness that flooded his mind, blocking all other thoughts.

"I knew you would fail, you always were useless." Father's tone was disgusted.

Chad almost wanted to laugh at this. "Then I guess you won't be needing me for your missions anymore?" Dared he hope?

Father let out a low chuckle, which was never a good sign. "No, Chad, I won't be needing your services any longer."

Chad couldn't believe his ears. He was...free?

"Of course, that means our deal is off."

Deal...? But— 

Chad's waking nightmare was interrupted by a loud mechanical noise. Nigel snapped to action, running in the direction of the sound, and Chad followed suit.

Nigel's crashed space pod had jolted to life. They both stared, uncertain of what to make of this occurrence.

Until Chad saw who was inside.

She watched him with despondent eyes as her armor folded up to cover her face.

"_CREE!"_ he tried to yell over the roar of the engines as it launched into space. In a second she was gone, a mere speck in the night sky.

He had lost her.

---

---

author's notes:  next chapter should be the last.  i haven't drawn anything to go with this fic, like i did with "fallen"...maybe later when i have more time.  i guess i'd have to post it on my profile page instead of in the story.  trying to put links in the story never worked right for me anyways.


	5. chapter 5

**author's note:** sorry it took me so long to get this next chapter up. i hit a roadblock, and then suddenly the story started going in a completely different direction, quickly converting the ending i had already written into garbage. this, unfortunately, is not the last chapter, there will be one more after this one.

special thanks again goes to Cybra, beta-reader extraordinaire! may the Golden Plot Bunny always smile upon you! 

**Chapter 5**

Once the echo of the engines and his own scream died out, Chad turned immediately to the boy he had just tried to kill, and begged for his help. "Please, Nigel, I have to follow her."

Numbuh One scrutinized him for a long moment, rubbing his still-raw neck.

"Fine. Come with me."

---

Chad followed Nigel up the long, spiral staircase to Sector V's Mission Prep Room. The younger boy kept glancing at the katana that had been held to his neck not long ago.

Chad looked at the sword at his side. While he still felt guilty about the murder attempt, he made sure to retrieve it. Somehow he felt he needed it. Even so….

"How's your foot?" he asked tentatively.

There was a long space of time when the boy said nothing. Then he said, "You know, your katana was confiscated by Global Command when you were taken in before your decommissioning."

Chad paused at the change in subject then answered, "I didn't know that."

"It disappeared mysteriously almost six months ago."

Chad took in this information in surprise. "That long ago?" Had Father been planning this for that long?

They were nearing their destination at the top of the stairs.

"Where do you think Cree's headed?" the young leader asked, changing gears again.

"To Moonbase," Chad answered certainly. "I don't know why, but destroying it has always been one of Father's top priorities." He paused after he said this. Father hadn't asked him to do that this time. Was destroying Moonbase really Father's ultimate goal?

They arrived at the Mission Prep Room and Numbuh One set off the mission alert. In under a minute, the other operatives raced into the room.

The other KND stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Chad.

"What's that cruddy teenager doing here?!" Numbuh Four shouted, diving forward to attack him.

"Stand down, Numbuh Four!" Nigel ordered as Abby quickly grabbed the furious kid by the hood.

Chad realized his hand had flown to the hilt of his katana at the prospect of an assault. He removed his hand guiltily, hoping no one saw.

Wally was still growling at him. Chad began to appreciate how lucky he had been this past year when all Numbuh Four did was glare at him.

"Numbuh Two?" requested Nigel.

Hoagie obviously had been in this situation countless times and knew what was required of him without needing to be asked outright. He walked over to Numbuh Four and sat on him.

"Oof!"

"All right, team," began their leader now that order was restored, "we have strong evidence that someone is planning to attack Moonbase. We need to get there before that happens."

"The STARWRECK is available," suggested Numbuh Two. "And the COOLBUS is still equipped with escape-velocity rocket boosters."

Numbuh One considered briefly. "We'll take the COOLBUS. Everyone be ready to leave in ten."

"Yaaaaaaaay! I'll get the snacks and a mix tape!" squealed Numbuh Three, dashing from the room.

Abigail headed for the door as well, saying, "Numbuh Five will ready the weapons." She paused briefly before exiting. "I suppose I don't have to ask _who_ is attacking Moonbase?" she asked in an even voice.

Chad's heart sunk. "I'm sorry," he said softly. It was all his fault….

She drew in a slow breath before answering, "You don't have to apologize to me." Her last word was emphasized ever so slightly. She left the room.

---

The Moonbase was in full alert when they arrived. Numbuh One had called ahead to warn them of a possible attack, and now the entire base was trying to find the intruder before she could do any damage.

Numbuh One was about to dispatch orders to his team when Chad made an appeal:

"Please, let me do this. I'll stop her."

He looked into five sets of eyes--one set so much like Cree's, another scowling, the next bright and cheerful, still another was doubtful, and the last set serious and meditative.

"I won't let her destroy Moonbase. I promise."

The meditative eyes focused on him. "We'll give you thirty minutes."

---

He rushed through the dim, metal corridors of Moonbase, aimlessly searching, hiding whenever he encountered an operative. They certainly wouldn't tolerate his presence there even with their attentions focused on the raid. A small part of him couldn't help but be impressed with the turmoil Cree had been able to cause in such a short time. She certainly had been the best.

Ducking into a supply closet to avoid a small group of operatives, Chad knew he was wasting time. Almost ten minutes had already passed. He was blindly running through the base in the hopes of encountering her. He wasn't even sure if he should be running in the direction that the KND were heading or in the opposite direction. He needed to think this through.

Cree was here to destroy Moonbase. Pushing the "why" out of his mind, he asked himself how she intended to do it. How would he do it? Explosives, probably. Where would he plant them to do the most damage? After a moment of contemplation, he raced from the supply closet.

Never had he been so grateful for his time spent as a Moonbase officer. He was privy to passageways and secret alcoves that no regular operative would be, making it possible to reach the roots of the enormous space plant without being seen by another member of the KND.

Chad was finally rewarded for his frantic minutes of searching. The mere sight of her was pure relief.

"Cree!" He rushed up to her and tried to hold her, but she shook free without even looking at him. Oddly enough, she didn't seem that surprised by his presence.

"Don't." She spoke in a low, barely audible voice. "I'm sorry. But this is the way it has to be. Please, leave." She started to walk away, her quiet footsteps didn't even echo in the empty hall.

Doubt sprung in Chad's mind. What if it was too late? What if he had already ruined everything? What if she hated him now? But he knew in his heart to ignore these thoughts. He grabbed her by the hand. "No. You can't do this. It's…not like you. Why are you obeying Father's orders?"

"You don't understand." Her voice quavered.

He felt her hand trembling in his. He cradled it in both of his. "Then talk to me."

She finally turned to face him, tears streaming from her eyes. "It's my fault this happened. If I hadn't brought you to Father back then—"

"What? Is that why--?"

"If it hadn't been for me, you'd be happy, it's my fault—"

"No, it's not." He couldn't help smiling. He couldn't believe that after all this, _he_ would be the one reassuring _her._ "It would have been the same even if I'd never met you. No--it would have been worse. I would never have been able to get out if it weren't for you." He held her hand to his heart. "You're the one who saved me."

She was listening to him now; his words were getting through. She wiped away her tears. "But…he'll never let us go. That's why I have to do this. He said—he said he'd leave you alone if I did this for him."

Chad let out a sound that was almost a laugh as tears welled in his own eyes. "He told me he would leave _you_ alone if _I_ did what he said."

It was Cree's turn to laugh as she cried. She flew into his arms, and he held her there, safe. "We're both such idiots."

Their happy reunion was cut short by the sound of a throat clearing. The couple turned to see Nigel.

"You'd better get out of here; a team of operatives will be here any minute."

Chad stared. "How did—"

"What about the explosives?" Cree gasped.

"Already taken care of," called a voice from the shadows. Numbuh Five stepped towards them, carrying the dismantled bomb.

"Abby!" Cree broke free from Chad and ran to her younger sister, hugging her tight. "I'm so sorry."

"That's okay, sis, I understand."

As the sisters exchanged a few more hurried words, Chad looked at the two young operatives with admiration. He and Cree may have been the best, but the torch had clearly been passed. He walked up to Numbuh One and held out his hand.

"Thank you. For everything."

Numbuh One took the hand. "You're welcome. Old friend."

Chad and Cree ran into a hidden passage, hand-in-hand. The sound of their retreating footsteps had long since faded into the distance by the time others charged in, only to be greeted by Numbuhs One and Five, who informed them that the situation was under control, and the Moonbase was no longer in danger. Unfortunately, the teens had managed to escape.

---

The trip back from the Moonbase was far more pleasant than their last one together had been, for this time they weren't in a converted trash receptacle.

Chad sat at the controls, eyelids drooping. He kept nodding off for a half-second then snapping awake only to drift off again.

Finally Cree shoved him aside, muttering, "After all we've just been through, you're gonna get us killed _now?"_

He gratefully let her take over, resting his head against her shoulder. He felt her kiss him lightly on his forehead as he slipped into slumber.

-

He stood alone at the border of light and dark, looking to the light, finally ready to cross. But then he felt them—the eyes watching him from the darkness. They bored into him, reading his mind and soul; angry, hateful.

Chad gathered his courage and faced the eyes.

"You've lost," he called out to them. "You can't control us anymore."

Chad saw the eyes narrow then slowly move closer. Chad watched tensely at first, then with growing horror when he recognized the figure moving towards him.

It was himself, with strange, pale eyes.

The other him glowered. "Surprised?"

-

Chad shivered awake to find that they had landed on Earth.

"I can't believe you slept through reentry," Cree smiled before noticing his troubled expression. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

He wished more than anything that he could say "nothing." He wished that they could continue the life they had before their memories were returned. He wished he could hold her close to him and not feel the guilt and darkness closing in.

He gazed at her sadly. "I'm—" he began before correcting himself. She was a part of this, and he knew now that to leave her out would be stupid. "We're not done yet."

---

They stood outside the mansion gates together, gazing at the large building that once served as a training ground for them.

Cree glanced at Chad, trying to read his expression. Fear, yes. Determination, definitely, but there was something else…what…?

Her hand reached out to take his, and he squeezed hers tight.

"We don't have to do this," she whispered without actually intending to. "I mean—we don't have to right now. Maybe it would be better if we rested first. We're both so tired."

"No," he replied, just as softly. "It has to be now." He turned to look into her eyes, and for the briefest instant she caught a glimpse of what earlier she couldn't identify in his eyes: a sense of destiny and ultimate purpose. She blinked and it was gone, and afterwards she couldn't be sure if she actually saw it. But it terrified her.

She had to fight the urge to pull him away and run as he took a step forward to open the gate.

---

The darkness and dread inside the mansion was palpable; it felt as though they were pushing forward in a bog of fear.

Cree could feel Father's presence all around them, and every fiber of her being reacted in horror and revulsion. All her energy was focused on trying to shut him out.

Chad once again knew where to go. It was almost as if Father was calling him, pulling him nearer.

"This way," he directed, still holding her hand.

Cree looked at Chad, surprised at the certainty with which he led her through the ominous passages. She had been Father's apprentice for longer than he, yet even she had occasionally gotten lost in these halls. How did he know exactly where to go?

Chad grasped her hand, both thankful for and worried by her presence. He doubted--no, he knew he wouldn't be able to do this without her. But what if she got hurt? What if she…?

No. He had to force that thought from his mind. Together, they were strong. Stronger than Father. He hoped….

Cree continued to study Chad, focusing now more on him than where they were going. She wished she could confirm the too-brief flash of foreordination she had seen in his eyes. What did it mean? Was it just her imagination? She couldn't shake the foreboding in her heart.

They had stopped in front of a set of double doors. Cree was pulled from her meditations, realizing they had arrived. She jerked her head around to look into Chad's eyes, opening her mouth to say something--what, she didn't know. A final attempt to convince him to turn around? A proclamation of love? 

The words never fell from her lips, however, for right then the doors slowly opened before them.

"Hello, my children," Father's voice emerged from the black depths.

The address raised Cree's ire. "Don't call us that, we're not--" she began, when Chad released her hand.

He stepped in front of her and slowly unsheathed his katana. He stared into the darkness, and slowly a pair of gleaming eyes emerged. As he adjusted to the absence of light, he began to make out the faint red outline of a body.

Cree, behind him, couldn't see the deadly serious depths in Chad's eyes.

But Father could. He laughed, low and derisively. "What's this, Chad? Are you going to kill me with that toy?"

Without a word, Chad rushed forward, raising the sword over his head, focusing on the evil, glowing eyes, aiming right between them....

He should have known it wouldn't be that easy.

In an instant, the entire room blazed with a fiery intensity. The horrible pain Chad felt in his entire body was nothing compared to the searing agony in his hand. He looked down to see a melted stump of a hilt where his katana once was. Every nerve in his system screamed to release the still-red-hot weapon, but it had seared onto him. All he could do was stare at it, paralyzed, in shock.

It was Cree who finally pried the thing from him, a second or an eternity later. He could hear her flesh sizzle as she ripped it from his melted skin. The now useless lump of metal clattered to the floor, and he stared at it, devastated. What could he possibly do now?

The room now smoldered in an orange glow. Chad gazed at Cree, staring an apology into her eyes. He could feel his energy draining from him; he was afraid he might pass out. And then it would be over. Father was just too strong. He would win.

Cree could see the defeat in Chad's dilated eyes. She could feel his weight against her; she doubted he could stand on his own anymore.

_Why? Why are we here? Why didn't I run when all my instincts told me to do so? Why didn't Chad listen to me when I asked him to leave, recuperate, and do this another day?_

She was practically carrying him now. His eyes were unfocused, staring but not seeing, eyelids lowering. He was there, but he wasn't.

Cree realized then that now was not the time to despair. If they did, they surely would be killed.

She glared into his eyes, trying to get his attention.

"Chad, look at me. Look at me! You can't give up now, not yet. There's still a chance. You're stronger than this; I know it. Stay with me, Chad. I need you."

_The darkness was closing in, overtaking him, even as he struggled against it. It reached out with hundreds of grasping arms, wrapping around his feet, his legs, his neck, his entire body, pulling him in._

_Far, far away, he could see a light. And from that light, he sensed more than heard her call:_

"_I need you."_

_His eyes snapped open. He tore free from the bonds that held him, and reached for her._

He found himself gaping into her eyes by the light of the slowly dying flames. "I…heard you…" he whispered.

He saw her eyes well up in relief. She embraced him, and it felt wonderfully healing. But just as he felt the gladness fill his soul, a thought entered his mind:

Why was Father being so quiet?

Chad looked up at the gathering shadows on the other side of the room. There the eyes watched them with growing hatred.

Chad opened his mouth to shout a warning—too late.

He had gotten almost the entirety of Father's last attack, as he had been standing in front of her and had managed to shield her. But this time, even though he tried to swing her around behind him, she was in the direct line of fire.

Chad saw her eyes widen in pain. Her mouth opened, but not a sound escaped from it. Chad felt her knees buckle as he tried to support her, but he was in no condition to carry her, and they fell to the ground together.

He realized then that Father's previous strike was merely disciplinary, a slap on the wrist for disobeying him. Even that was almost unbearable, but this attack…Chad knew this attack was meant to kill Cree.

He tried to pull her up, but a sharp gasp from her told him not to. He kneeled in front of her as she lay on the ground, peering up at him helplessly, taking in shallow breaths.

"I should have done that a long time ago," mused Father

Chad could only stare as a horrible emptiness grew inside him. His worst fear had come to pass. Cree was hurt, possibly dying. It was his fault, and there was nothing he could do to help her.

Cree could say nothing as she lay there, weak and broken. She no longer felt pain, just very, very tired. Was she dying?

No, she couldn't think that. She needed to be strong for Chad. He was watching her desperately, and she wanted more than anything to be able to tell him that everything was going to be all right. But it was a struggle to even breathe….

"It's a pity, really, she was an excellent apprentice. Far more useful than you, child. But it couldn't be helped. She was a necessary sacrifice."

_Cree…a 'necessary sacrifice?' How could he call her that?_ The emptiness inside Chad began to fill with anger and hatred, twisting and boiling within him. The world drained of color and grew eerily silent. He would make Father pay. He would kill him, even if he had to do it with nothing but his own two hands.

He felt an untapped power rise within him. It felt completely foreign, yet familiar. It gave him monstrous strength. If he unleashed this power upon Father—

Cree felt displaced from the present—from the room, the situation, even from her own body. In her current state, she was able to see everything more clearly. She observed Chad as his despair changed to rage. She saw the color fade from his eyes, and she realized she had seen this before in the past. But worst of all was Father, who watched from his corner of the room. He seemed pleased. Something terrible and ugly was growing within Chad, and it was exactly what Father wanted.

She had to stop Chad. More than just their lives were at stake, more than just his soul.

Chad had turned to Father and was focusing everything he had on him. All his fury and bitterness—

He felt a hand lay on his. He whipped around to see Cree watching him intently.

"Chad…don't…."

She had wanted to embrace him, but that was the best she could manage.

"Cree…."

She could barely speak, but her eyes spoke volumes. Looking at her, Chad felt a change inside him. Emotions battled inwardly, the turmoil was excruciating. He was caught between two very powerful feelings which threatened to pull him in two. He shut his eyes tight and hunched over.

Cree watched him struggle and tried to summon the strength to help him. She could see Father glaring at them, livid. She knew he would finish her off if he could, but Chad was directly in the line of fire, and much too close to her. And she knew then that Father needed him alive.

Chad battled within himself. He realized then what he had only vaguely felt before—that there were two very different hims, and his fate depended on which one won. The fight was no longer with Father. It was with himself. He knew then that he had to face the dark depths within. He turned inward and walked….

---

---

**author's note:** so, clearly that wasn't the last chapter. i'll get the next one up faster than i did this one, i promise!


	6. chapter 6

**author's notes:** it once again must be said that Cybra rocks.  
now on to the final chapter! 

**Chapter 6**

Chad was at the threshold again, afraid to take that first step into the darkness. What was there? He called out into it, only to hear his own voice echo back. He took a breath and stepped forward.

He had assumed there would be something in the darkness—a forest, a swamp, evil spirits, even. But it was empty. Nothing but emptiness and the absence of light. His footsteps echoed, as if in a large, bare room, but he could see no walls. He really couldn't see much of anything.

But then, quite suddenly, they appeared. The pale, glowing eyes that always seemed to look at him with such antagonism.

Chad took several more steps forward. Soon his eyes adjusted enough to see.

He stared at the other him, who, in turn, stared back with loathing. For a long time they just stood, sizing each other up. It was then that Chad noticed the blood on the other's hands. It made his own run cold. Whose...? Chad realized then that it wasn't Father who had been haunting him this past year but this person, this other him. It was this him who had committed all those crimes, who tried to murder everyone, who betrayed his friends. And now that they were face to face, he couldn't deny that it wasn't himself. 

But what should he do now? The other continued to glare at him with a terrifying hatred. This person...this other him...he needed to be...destroyed.

The instant he thought this, the pale eyes flashed and narrowed, and Chad knew then that he could read his thoughts. _Of course he can_, Chad berated himself. _ He's me, after all._

A heartbeat later the bloody hands were wringing his neck. Chad heard his own voice muttering to him, "All this time, our whole life, you've denied my existence. You tried to lock me up in a cold, dark corner of your mind. You wanted me dead. Now it's my turn. I don't care if it means I die with you. Now you die."

Chad struggled against him, trying to push him away and fend him off. _He is me...shouldn't I be as strong as he is? _But he could feel himself losing the battle. He could feel the life being strangled from him. _What happens if I die? Does he take over, or do I just...die?_

His vision started blurring, and he imagined he saw a light growing behind him. But his other self looked up at it too; it wasn't just his imagination. The other him looked frightened for a moment then released him and retreated several steps into the shadows. Chad fell to his knees.

An ethereal figure, shining warm and golden, came into Chad's field of vision.

"Cree," he murmured as she knelt beside him. She laid a hand on his face and he smiled at her.

"You'll be all right," she told him, and he believed her.

She then turned to look at the other, sulking at them from the gloom. He backed away a few more steps as she stood and approached him.

"Stay away!" he shouted, and Chad felt his fear.

But she refused, slowly nearing him as he continued to edge away until he hit the wall and could go no further.

Cree regarded him in silence, and he cowered, covering his face. "Don't...don't look."

"It's okay," she finally spoke soothingly. "Chad, it's okay." She reached out and pulled him into her arms.

"What are you doing?" both Chads asked at once.

She looked into the pale eyes. "Don't hide from me. You don't have to be afraid. I love you, Chad."

Tears spilled from his eyes. "But...I...." He showed her his stained hands. "They won't come clean. I tried...but...."

She gently took his hands and held them. She carefully opened them, one at a time then turned them over, studying them.

"What do you mean, sweetie? They look clean to me."

He looked down at his hands in hers. The blood was gone. The tears continued to trail down his cheeks, but he smiled at her, happy for the very first time in his lonely existence. He embraced her, holding her to him tightly.

"Thank you," he whispered.

---

Chad opened his eyes and found himself back in the room of the mansion with his arms around Cree. He met her gaze. She seemed glad, but exhausted.

A thought that something was strange interrupted his thoughts. It was bright in the room—not the fiery flickering of dying flames, but light coming in through the windows.

Chad looked around. "Where's Father?"

He focused on Cree again to consult her, only to find her eyes closed. He suddenly noticed how limp her body was in his arms.

"Cree? Cree??" he repeated with increasing panic.

The smile still hadn't left her lips…her body was warm…she had to be okay. She had to be….

He called an ambulance. But he couldn't just sit there and do nothing as he waited for it to arrive. And even though Chad could no longer feel his presence, he couldn't be sure where Father might be lurking.

With great difficulty, he lifted Cree and staggered out the door. He limped down one hallway after another. But it was as if his radar was off, he had no idea where he was headed. Was he even going in the right direction? He considered climbing out a window, but then found that they were on the second floor. He didn't even remember climbing a set of stairs.

He started to panic. The ambulance would arrive, but they'd never be able to find them. What if they died together in this horrible place? His strength finally let out, and he slid to his knees. He held Cree close, pressing his face to hers, and wept.

"Cree…please…just tell me you'll be all right."

He heard a soft noise and his head jerked up. A skinny girl was peering at them from around a corner. He recognized her as one of the Delightful Children.

Chad tensed. He had no idea what she might do. But she was alone…strange. Maybe if he took Cree and walked away, she would do nothing.

He gathered his precious cargo and stood painfully.

"W…wait," he heard a barely audible voice.

He looked up at the small girl.

"You're trying to get out?" Her words were hesitant and uncertain, as if she had little practice at speaking.

He stared at her, hopeful but guarded. Would she actually help him?

"Yes," he finally replied.

She held out a tiny, pale hand, and pointed. "This hall. Turn left at the end. Then down the stairs."

Again he regarded her. Could he trust her? Might it be a trap? But he didn't have many choices. He decided to believe her.

"Thank you," he said, and went down the passageway indicated. He could feel her eyes on him the entire, long, slow journey down the hall, and felt more than a little relieved when he turned the corner.

The girl had told the truth. At the bottom of the stairs was a door, and beyond that, light and air. He stumbled outside just as the ambulance arrived.

---

Chad walked uncertainly down the hall of the hospital. He looked down the hall in one direction, then the other.

"Chad?" a deep voice asked, and he spun around.

"Dr. Lincoln," he recognized the man behind him, relieved. "Could you tell me where Cree is?"

"Now, first thing's first, Chad, you know better than to leave your room, with the bed, and the I.V., and the monitors…."

Chad twitched impatiently. He still hadn't gotten used to Dr. Lincoln's odd, roundabout way of talking. "They discharged me this afternoon. My mom and dad are going to pick me up any minute, but I wanted to see Cree first. How is she?"

"You know Cree, with the—" began Dr. Lincoln, when he was interrupted.

"There's my runaway patient," a cheerful, sing-songy voice called. Chad recognized the nurse as she approached them.

Chad glanced at her guiltily. "I was going to come back…I just wanted to stretch my legs," he lied.

"Well, your parents are here, they're ready to take you home now."

"But…I want to see Cree." Chad looked pleadingly first at the nurse, then Dr. Lincoln.

The other two eyed each other with knowing smiles.

"I'll tell you what, son, Nurse Flagg here will tell your parents that you'll be a few more minutes, with the delays, and the paper work, and the waiting—"

"And?" Chad prodded.

"And I'll show you where Cree's staying, with the pillows, and the bandages, and the bedpans…" he spieled, starting to lead the way.

"Oh! I almost forgot," the nurse stopped them. She held up the bag she was carrying and opened it. "Here are your…personal effects, from when you were admitted."

"Oh, right, thanks." Chad reached in and removed his neatly folded, badly singed clothes then hurried off after Dr. Lincoln who was leaving without him.

They arrived at a door like all the others when it opened and Numbuh Five—Abby, rather, stepped out, closing it gently behind her.

"Well, well, if it isn't my younger daughter, with the being a good sister, and the visiting her older sibling, and the…aw, you know what I mean."

"Hey, Dad," she greeted before noticing who he was with. "Chad! How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, thanks. How's Cree? Is that her room? She's in there now?" he asked eagerly.

"Yeah, she is. But—" she grabbed him by the back of his shirt as he headed for the door, "she's asleep right now. Don't disturb her, she still needs her rest."

"All right, I won't, I'll be quiet," he promised quickly and entered the room.

Light filtered in through the drawn curtains. As Abby had informed him, Cree was sleeping, and was hooked up to an assortment of machines, as well as heavily bandaged. But simply looking upon her eased an ache within him, and he finally felt he could breathe.

He sat on the chair by her bed and watched her. Seconds ticked into minutes, and eventually only looking at her wasn't enough. He stood quietly and crept towards her. He observed her again from the side of the bed, ignoring the tubes in her nose. She was breathing slowly and deeply, still asleep. Surely it wouldn't hurt to…?

He bent forward slowly, inching towards her slightly parted lips. He touched his to hers—lightly, barely touching her at all, really. He wouldn't wake her.

But then she swatted him weakly, murmuring sleepily, and he pulled back abruptly to see her eyes flutter open.

He smiled warmly at her. "Hey, how are you feeling?"

Cree regarded him with tired, unfocused eyes for several seconds. Then mumbled, "Oh. It's you."

Chad's smile faded at this, and she laughed weakly.

"Oh, lighten up, Chad." She held out her hand to him, which he took immediately and accidentally got tangled in her I.V.

"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed in horror, straightening the line.

"It's okay. It's taped pretty securely—"

"No, it's not okay," he replied, anguish apparent in his voice. "This wouldn't have happened…. You wouldn't even be here if…. This is all my f—"

"Stop it." Cree's voice was soft, but firm and serious. "If I hear you blame yourself for this, I swear, I'll get up and march out the door. I don't care if I have to drag five hundred pounds of medical equipment behind me to do it."

Chad gazed at her, so vulnerable in her condition, yet so strong. He himself was a horrible person. And yet…she loved him. That he would love her had always been a matter of course, but that she would return those feelings, even after seeing the ugliest part of him…. It was nothing short of a miracle.

He really couldn't find the words to express how he felt. Instead he stared into her eyes and said nothing.

Finally Cree asked, "What's that you got there?" indicating the bundle he was carrying.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just my clothes."

"Aw, how sweet of you," she grinned, taking them from him. "Most people bring flowers, but you give me toasted laundry." She ran her fingers pensively over the burn marks. The question on both their minds--"What happened to Father?"--went unasked. They looked at each other and didn't say a word, because it didn't matter. They both knew that Father would never be able to drive a wedge between them again.

Instead, Cree smiled and said, "This isn't the first time you gave me your ratty old clothes." 

He met her gaze, remembering. But then said, "Hey, who said I was letting you keep them? Word on the street is that the 'Inferno Survivor' look is in now."

"Oh, really? Then I'll have to—" Cree stopped short when a mint fell from the folds of clothing. She picked it up and stared. "This…is a MINT."

"Yeah, Abby gave it to me," Chad shrugged.

"How long have you had this?"

"Uh…" he thought. "Since before we went to Moonbase?"

"You idiot, we could have used this," she said exasperatedly.

"For…our halitosis?"

"It's not a regular peppermint, moron, it's a MINT: Makes Icy; Never Thaws."

"You're talking gibberish." Chad pressed his hand to her forehead.

She grumbled in annoyance, and removing the plastic wrapper, tossed the MINT to the corner of the room. A bright, high-pitched, crackling explosion filled the room, and when Chad opened his eyes, the other side of the room was encased in a thick layer of ice.

"Oh…. Yeah, we could've used that."

"You're so useless," Cree shook her head.

"2x4 technology was never really my strong point," he rationalized.

"Clearly," she rolled her eyes. "Come here and give me a kiss, you dimwit, and not a wimpy one like before."

Chad wasn't about to disobey those orders. They were just getting to the good part when a voice muttered,

"I thought I told you not to wake her."

The couple looked up to see Abby frowning at them through the doorway.

"He didn't, I woke up by myself," Cree lied convincingly as Chad tried to look innocent.

"Chad, your parents-- What happened here?" she interrupted herself, staring at the ice formation. She entered and closed the door hastily behind her.

"Ooh, busted," whispered Chad.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cree demanded in an undertone.

"I'm not the one who threw the MINT."

"Don't you dare tell her, you snitch."

Abby stared at the ice, frowning. "I can't believe these two, wasting perfectly good 2x4 technology," she groused to herself.

The door opened again.

"Hi, Mr. And Mrs. Dickson," Abby greeted then excused herself from the room.

"Chad? The nurse told us you'd—" Chad's mom paused when she saw the ice, then decided to ignore it. "The nurse told us you'd be here. Hello, Cree, how are you?"

"I'm okay, considering."

Mrs. Dickson smiled at her, but then focused her attention on her son. "Are you ready to go home, dear?"

Chad looked at Cree and didn't reply.

"Come on, sport, let's go and get a home-cooked meal in you," his dad suggested jovially.

"I'm staying here with Cree," Chad answered, not taking his eyes from her.

"I know you want to, dear, but you should come home and rest. You've been discharged, but you still need to take care of yourself."

"I'll be okay, Chad. You can visit me tomorrow," Cree said softly.

"See? Even Cree thinks you should take care of yourself. Besides, she needs her sleep, too." His mom was becoming more insistent.

"I'm staying." His tone made it clear that his decision was final.

His parents looked at one another and sighed.

-

After Chad's parents had left, Cree reasoned, "Well, your mom already hates me, so it's not as if she could like me any less," she paused as she tried to stifle a yawn, "but aren't you worried that she'll punish you?"

"I'll probably be grounded," admitted Chad, "but I'll deal with that later."

She smiled at him sleepily. "I'll send you a nail file so you can scrape your way through the bars that they're going to put on your windows," she murmured.

"Thanks. Bake it in a loaf of bread for me, will you?"

Cree's eyes had closed. "Mm-hmm," she mumbled slowly. "Bread."

Chad's smile changed to a worried expression. Cree was exhausted, and he had selfishly insisted on staying with her without asking her first.

"You should sleep, Cree," he whispered. "I guess I should…go." He stood and released the hand he had been clinging to.

But she didn't let go of his. "Stay."

He settled back in his seat. "All right."

Hours passed and he stayed, watching her sleep. Nurses and doctors came and went, checking up on her, administering mediations, changing bandages, and she slept. And he stayed.

She woke again in the middle of the night. It was dark, but she felt his hand in hers and she was comforted. She squeezed it gently.

"You're awake," he said softly.

"_You're _awake? What time is it?"

"I don't know. It's too dark to see the clock."

"It is dark in here." She paused. "Are you okay? You…don't like the dark, do you?"

"It's okay, I'm fine."

She couldn't see his face, but could hear from his voice that he was smiling.

A long span of silence passed.

Chad interrupted it to say, "I was right."

"Hm?"

"You did save me. I knew we met before Abby introduced us."

Cree reflected before answering, "I think it was a mutual thing."

Chad knew she was giving him too much credit. But he continued, "There is something you can do for me."

"What's that?"

"Shove over and let me lie down. I've been sitting here so long that I can't feel my legs."

"Not a chance," she refused flatly.

"Bed hog."

Cree laughed and reached out to him.

"Ow! Yeah, that was my eye."

"Oh! Sorry, sweetie." She aimed higher, feeling the top of his head, then reached behind and lower for his neck.

"What are you doing?"

"Pulling you in for a kiss."

"Well, why didn't you say—mgff."

Chad knew he would be stiff and sore and grounded in the morning, but for now, life was good.

---

He stood in the warm, golden light. He could see the darkness there in the distance, and he knew it would never completely disappear. But he was no longer afraid of it. It didn't seem quite as dark anymore.

He heard her call to him, and he turned to smile at her. The light and warmth--they all were born from her. He walked towards her then quickened his pace to rush into her waiting arms.

-fin-

---

---

**author's notes:** it's finally done! once again there are unanswered questions...the obvious one being "what the #$&! happened to Father?" of course i won't answer that (insert evil laugh here) but it is significant that one of the Delightful Children has separated from the pack....  
so yes, there is room for yet another sequel, and i have started one, but whether it'll fizzle before completion is another issue.

and i put a random Cree/Chad pic that i drew on my profile page (i can't seem to post it here), which actually has nothing at all to do with my fic. i had wanted to draw a scene from it, but i drew that one instead. it's cheesy! :P


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